Definition: Child Labour: Anyone under the age of 18 who are forced to work, instead of going to school.
Imagine this, you’re getting ready for school but instead of going to school your parents tell you that you can’t go to school, and instead have to work to support your family. You’re sent to a dirty, cold, stinky, run-down factory instead of a warm, comfortable classroom. Chances are that once you get over the excitement of not going to school, you’re actually going to miss school, and want to go back, but you can’t.
Is child labour still a problem in the world today?
Child labour is still a very real problem today. It’s hard to imagine what these children grow up having to do. Even today the conditions children are forced to work in are horrendous. Often times companies would break the safety laws just to save money, putting everyone who worked there in high risk. All over the world children as young as 5 have to work up to 20 hour days for little to no money. These children can be doing any job ranging from working in factories, or polishing shoes.The kids who are put into child labour are usually forced to earn their keep, and help feed their family. Today there are over 132 million children all over the world just working on the land (agriculture). In Asia there are still sweatshops present where children work in factories working looms and sewing machines. When kids are forced to work, they’re missing out on their education. In some countries (ex. Uzbekistan) they close rural schools during the cotton harvest seasons, which leads to children missing out on months of their education. When one child is forced into child labour it creates a ripple effect. This means that that one child will grow up without a decent if any education so when they are older and looking for a job, chances are it won’t be enough to support them or their family. This leads to a higher chance of having to put their children into child labour to help with food and income. As much as this is happening, the amount of children forced into child labour is decreasing. In India in 2006 there were over 12.6 million kids apart of child labour, but 10 years later there were only 4.5 million. This huge decrease has encouraged the Indian government to amend the existing child labour laws to try and encourage the number to continue to drop. These amendments will ban children under 14 working any job, and double the punishment and fine for anyone who illegally employs a child. It will also ban children 15-18 from working in any dangerous conditions. A new law was passed stating that children could work for their family business, but only if it did not interfere with school and their education. This is a very good example of a country who really depends on child labour doing their best to try and end it. For more information check out this video:
What more can be done about it?
As consumers we can do our part to try and end child labour once and for all. If consumers aren’t buying a product, it won’t be produced. By filtering and researching the products that you purchase who could be limiting the amount of work and products produced by child labour. Another way to stop child labour is by raising awareness. Join a group, union or just educate people on how child labour is still present and needs to stop. One way this is being achieved is World Day Against Child Labour. The world is trying to eliminate child labour by 2025 but since it’s such a large on going global issue, it may take a little more time.
Organizations like Me to We (also known as Free the Children) are doing their part in trying to end child labour. They work specifically in rural parts of developing countries teaching communities how they can empower themselves. When communities learn skills like that they can help support themselves, allowing their children to go to school, and not have to stay home and work.
The International Labour Organization works towards eliminating child labour completely on a global scale. They are trying to accomplish this by strengthening national capacities when addressing child labour issues, and by creating a worldwide movement. They have a specific program called Scream (Stop Child Labour! Supporting Child’s Rights through Education, the Arts, and The Media) which spreads awareness about how Child Labour is still a very real issue today.
Walter Trattner. “Crusade for the Children: A History of the National Child Labour Committee and Child Labour Reform in America”. History. http://www.history.com/topics/child-labor
Child Labour I
Definition: Child Labour: Anyone under the age of 18 who are forced to work, instead of going to school.
Imagine this, you’re getting ready for school but instead of going to school your parents tell you that you can’t go to school, and instead have to work to support your family. You’re sent to a dirty, cold, stinky, run-down factory instead of a warm, comfortable classroom. Chances are that once you get over the excitement of not going to school, you’re actually going to miss school, and want to go back, but you can’t.
Is child labour still a problem in the world today?
Child labour is still a very real problem today. It’s hard to imagine what these children grow up having to do. Even today the conditions children are forced to work in are horrendous. Often times companies would break the safety laws just to save money, putting everyone who worked there in high risk. All over the world children as young as 5 have to work up to 20 hour days for little to no money. These children can be doing any job ranging from working in factories, or polishing shoes.The kids who are put into child labour are usually forced to earn their keep, and help feed their family. Today there are over 132 million children all over the world just working on the land (agriculture). In Asia there are still sweatshops present where children work in factories working looms and sewing machines. When kids are forced to work, they’re missing out on their education. In some countries (ex. Uzbekistan) they close rural schools during the cotton harvest seasons, which leads to children missing out on months of their education. When one child is forced into child labour it creates a ripple effect. This means that that one child will grow up without a decent if any education so when they are older and looking for a job, chances are it won’t be enough to support them or their family. This leads to a higher chance of having to put their children into child labour to help with food and income. As much as this is happening, the amount of children forced into child labour is decreasing. In India in 2006 there were over 12.6 million kids apart of child labour, but 10 years later there were only 4.5 million. This huge decrease has encouraged the Indian government to amend the existing child labour laws to try and encourage the number to continue to drop. These amendments will ban children under 14 working any job, and double the punishment and fine for anyone who illegally employs a child. It will also ban children 15-18 from working in any dangerous conditions. A new law was passed stating that children could work for their family business, but only if it did not interfere with school and their education. This is a very good example of a country who really depends on child labour doing their best to try and end it. For more information check out this video:
What more can be done about it?
As consumers we can do our part to try and end child labour once and for all. If consumers aren’t buying a product, it won’t be produced. By filtering and researching the products that you purchase who could be limiting the amount of work and products produced by child labour. Another way to stop child labour is by raising awareness. Join a group, union or just educate people on how child labour is still present and needs to stop. One way this is being achieved is World Day Against Child Labour. The world is trying to eliminate child labour by 2025 but since it’s such a large on going global issue, it may take a little more time.
Organizations like Me to We (also known as Free the Children) are doing their part in trying to end child labour. They work specifically in rural parts of developing countries teaching communities how they can empower themselves. When communities learn skills like that they can help support themselves, allowing their children to go to school, and not have to stay home and work.
The International Labour Organization works towards eliminating child labour completely on a global scale. They are trying to accomplish this by strengthening national capacities when addressing child labour issues, and by creating a worldwide movement. They have a specific program called Scream (Stop Child Labour! Supporting Child’s Rights through Education, the Arts, and The Media) which spreads awareness about how Child Labour is still a very real issue today.
Bibliography:
Scream. “Stop Child Labour! Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media (trabajo infantil, le travail des enfants).” TakingITGlobal. Accessed 11/13/2017. http://orgs.tigweb.org/scream-stop-child-labour---supporting-childrens-rights-through-education-the-arts-and-the-media-trabajo-infantil-le-travail-des-enfants
United Nations. “World Day Against Child Labour”. United Nations. Accessed 11/13/2017.http://www.un.org/en/events/childlabourday/background.shtml
EuroNews. “Children in Jobs means Even Worse Future, Says ILO”. EuroNews. Accessed 11/13/2017. http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/12/children-in-jobs-means-even-worse-future-says-ilo
New Lanark World Heritage Site. “Children & Cotton”. Learning Zone. Accessed 11/13/2017. http://newlanark.org/learningzone/childlabourtoday.php
Lau, Annabel. Wang, Austin. Miller, Benjamin. Li, Sida. “Child Labour Today”. Labour Awareness. Accessed 11/13/2017. https://laborawareness.wordpress.com/child-labor-today/
Walter Trattner. “Crusade for the Children: A History of the National Child Labour Committee and Child Labour Reform in America”. History. http://www.history.com/topics/child-labor
Kapoor, Arachika. “A Drop in Child Labour in India Drastic Changes in Laws”. Media India Group. Accessed 11/13/2017. https://mediaindia.eu/business-politics/a-drop-in-child-labour-in-india/
Media India Group. “World Day Against Child Labour 2017”. Media India Group. Accessed 11/13/2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHC2OxRowl8